Islamic State of Iraq

The Islamic State of Iraq was a Sunni jihadist insurgent group in Iraq that sought to establish an Islamic state in the Sunni-majority areas of Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq was led by Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi from its 15 October 2006 foundation until their deaths in 2010. Its leader Abu Dua, later known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, united the group with Syrian jihadist groups to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. ISI's base was Mosul, and it had operations in Baghdad Governorate, Anbar Governorate, and Diyala Governorate, and Baqubah was their proclaimed capital. By 2012, it had around 2,500 fighters.